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Statutes Text

Article - IV - Judiciary Department




§14.

    The Supreme Court of Maryland shall be composed of seven justices, one from the First Appellate Judicial Circuit consisting of Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester Counties; one from the Second Appellate Judicial Circuit consisting of Baltimore and Harford Counties; one from the Third Appellate Judicial Circuit, consisting of Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard, and Washington Counties; one from the Fourth Appellate Judicial Circuit, consisting of Prince George’s County; one from the Fifth Appellate Judicial Circuit, consisting of Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s Counties; one from the Sixth Appellate Judicial Circuit, consisting of Baltimore City; and one from the Seventh Appellate Judicial Circuit, consisting of Montgomery County. The Justices of the Supreme Court of Maryland shall be residents of their respective Appellate Judicial Circuits. The term of each Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland shall begin on the date of the Justice’s qualification. One of the Justices of the Supreme Court of Maryland shall be designated by the Governor as the Chief Justice. The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Maryland shall be co–extensive with the limits of the State and such as now is or may hereafter be prescribed by law. It shall hold its sessions in the City of Annapolis at such time or times as it shall from time to time by rule prescribe. Its session or sessions shall continue not less than ten months in each year, if the business before it shall so require, and it shall be competent for the justices temporarily to transfer their sittings elsewhere upon sufficient cause. The salary of each Justice of the Supreme Court of Maryland shall be that now or hereafter prescribed by the General Assembly and shall not be diminished during the Justice’s continuance in office. Five of the justices shall constitute a quorum, and five justices shall sit in each case unless the Supreme Court of Maryland shall direct that an additional justice or justices sit for any case. The concurrence of a majority of those sitting shall be sufficient for the decision of any cause, and an equal division of those sitting in a case has the effect of affirming the decision appealed from if there is no application for reargument as hereinafter provided. In any case where there is an equal division or a three to two division of the Supreme Court of Maryland a reargument before the full Court of seven justices shall be granted to the losing party upon application as a matter of right.



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